


a kiss on the cheek.

by dre_amer



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Angst, Assassin Tam Song, Blood and Injury, Boys Kissing, Competition, F/F, Fighter Keefe Sencen, Freeform, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Injuries, Other, Prize Fighter Keefe Sencen, Prize Fighters, Romance, Serious Injuries, The Black Swan (Keeper of the Lost Cities), The Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities), prize fighter au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25449997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dre_amer/pseuds/dre_amer
Summary: Tam Song is an assassin for the agency, the "Black Swan." He's sent on a mission to recruit the one of the best prize fighters of the Lost Cities - a boy who goes by the alias "Empath." But as he forges on, a strange sense of protectiveness flares inside him - protectiveness for the boy with the messy hair and the icy blue eyes and that irritating smirk.But the Black Swan aren't the only ones who're trying to recruit Empath - the Neverseen want him too. As the two biggest agencies in the Lost Cities compete for Empath, an unexpected romance blooms between the assassin and the prize fighter.
Relationships: Keefe Sencen/Tam Song, Sophie Foster/Linh Song/Biana Vacker
Comments: 14
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Tam grumbled something about his workload as he strode through the dented doors of the infamous fighting club, nicknamed Nightfall by the locals.

Nightfall wasn't much by itself - a few decent-sized bars, a few table booths. Everything Tam could see was covered in at least a few layers of grime, and the dim lighting somehow added to the filthiness. 

Most of the space was taken up by the large fighting ring in the back of the club. There was a chalkboard behind the ring, the night's matches written in crooked handwriting. Tam didn't pay too much attention to the chalkboard - he wasn't here to watch the matches, he was here for the prize fighter. 

_'Stop complaining!'_ Biana snapped, apparently having snatched Dex's mic. Tam winced at her loud voice coming in through the earpiece, scanning the crowds from under his hood. He looked for anyone who looked like the best prize fighter in these lands - maybe ripped muscles, maybe tattoos, maybe a permanent snarl fixed on his lips. The Black Swan still didn't know what Empath looked like - there was barely any information on him. 

_'Granite wants me to remind you of the information on Empath,'_ Dex said through the earpiece. Tam hoped Biana was gone. _'Okay, so-'_

"He has a record of three hundred fifty-two fights and three hundred fifty-two wins. This is the only night he's gonna be in Nightfall and will probably disappear again tomorrow, so this is my only chance. No pictures. His first name is Keefe, and you couldn't find his surname," Tam recited under his breath. "And he kisses all of his opponents on the cheek after kicking their asses." He found an empty seat next to someone who looked like a half-giant. He glanced at the man, wondering if he was Empath, but dismissed the thought. He didn't seem like the kiss-after-beating type.

Tam ordered a glass of water distractedly - he didn't need to be intoxicated while handling this particular recruit. He tried to search the crowds, looking for someone who seemed like Empath, but it was hard when the waitress kept trying to flirt with him. 

_'Show-off,'_ Dex muttered. He cleared his throat. _'Well, the probability of you sustaining serious injuries is... ah, 96.83 percent. Remember, this one's really dangerous, so you've got to be careful. Understand?'_

Tam heaved a sigh, tapping his fingers on the rotting wood. "Yes, I know." The tapping became faster. "Why am I on this mission again?" 

_'All of the other recruiters are on break,'_ Dex told him. _'Besides, they probably wouldn't be able to handle this one.'_

"But if this recruit's so important, then why didn't Mr. Forkle come?" Tam countered. "Or Granite? Or, you know, any of the Collective members?" 

Dex sighed. _'They don't have any fighting experience, Tam. They're leaders, not fighters.'_

Tam grunted. "Wow, what great leaders we have." 

There was a bit of static, then Mr. Forkle's voice came through the earpiece. ' _Don't get smart with us, Mr. Song,'_ he warned. Tam flinched at the use of his family name. 

"That's not my name," Tam muttered. He tugged on the tip of his bangs - a nervous habit. 

As Tam studied the crowd, waiting impatiently for his drink, there was a disturbance next to him. Tam glanced over, annoyed, and paused. 

The half-giant that had been seated next to him was now on his feet, ducking his head in a sign of respect to a lithe, blonde boy who looked younger than Tam. 

Tam kept staring, intrigued. This half-giant, with rippling muscles covered in countless tattoos, was bowing repeatedly to teenager, who was tiny in comparison. 

The blonde boy flashed a friendly grin and waved the giant off, sliding into his former seat. The other man bowed again and then scurried off, glancing back at the boy. 

The blonde smirked at Tam, who was gaping. "You're going to catch flies." 

Dex snickered through the earpiece, apparently having regained control of the mic. Tam clenched his jaw shut and irritably pressed a tiny button on the earpiece, silencing it. He'd turn it on later.

"What do you want?" he snapped, hostility dripping from his tone. The blonde ignored his rudeness and smiled easily. 

"You're new, right? What made you come here?" 

Tam relaxed, then stiffened again. This boy was making him let down his guard with his natural charm and nonchalant smirks. 

Tam had to admit, he was gorgeous. And pretty hot. But a delicate boy like him didn't belong in this dirty, dark place where people fought for fun. 

"That's none of your business," Tam said curtly, spotting the waitress heading his way with his glass of water. 

**_Finally._**

Tam thanked her, ignoring the way she battered her fake eyelashes and smiled in a flirty manner. 

Tam snuck a glance at the blonde boy, who'd gone silent. He was frowning at the waitress, practically burning a hole in her with his glare. 

Tam wrinkled his nose when he took a sip of the murky water - it tasted like watered-down sewage. Don't ask how he knew what sewage tasted like - his missions took him to very strange places. 

He and Linh used to live in Wildwood, one of the most prominent wastelands, so he was used to dirty things. But... there were things at which he drew the line, and one of those things were sewage water. Tam set the glass down. 

When the waitress sidled closer and placed a hand on Tam's arm, the assassin pulled away awkwardly. "I'm, uh, good with the drinks. You can go now." 

The waitress pouted as Tam internally cringed. It wasn't her fault, it was just... he didn't like women. He preferred the other gender. 

She opened her mouth to argue, but someone else's voice cut her off. 

"You heard him," the blonde boy said, his tone having changed completely. It was icy and hard, contrary to the warm tone he'd had before. "You can leave." 

The waitress glared at him, sneering. The blonde stared her down, icy blue eyes narrowing. 

**_He's really hot when he does that._ **

Tam pinched himself under his cape, repeating the ground rules for every mission he went on. _'No flirting, no touching, no romance, no trying to take them home.'_ He usually had no problems at all with following these, but for some reason, he was having a very hard time trying not to pin the pretty blonde boy to the wooden counter and kiss him senseless. 

The waitress eventually gave up and trudged away, muttering something about 'the stupid pretty boy showing up out of nowhere and stealing everyone.' 

When Tam looked back at the boy, his easy smile was back. 

"You're blushing," the boy commented offhandedly. He tilted his head and smirked. "You're cute." 

Tam choked on his own saliva and coughed for a few seconds, struggling to breathe. The blonde smiled at his beet-red face and reached out to tug on his bangs lightly. "Your hair is really weird." 

Tam scowled, having regained his dignity. "Your hair isn't any better," he countered. "What'd you do, pour an entire bottle of hair gel on it?" 

The boy smirked and ran a hand through his fluffy hair. "You don't think I look good?" 

Tam fixed him with a deadpan stare. "No." 

**_Complete and utter lie._ **

The blonde grinned lazily and rested his chin in his hands, brushing his fingers over the pockmarked surface of the counter. He didn't seem bothered by Tam's animosity. 

The longer Tam stared at the boy, the more things he noticed. The way his unfairly long eyelashes brushed the skin below his eyes, the way his plump lips curled up at the edges, the way his icy blue eyes flitted around the club. 

**_His eyes are really pretty._ **

Tam pinched himself again, but he still couldn't look away from the boy's peculiar eyes. He wondered if that was his natural eye color. 

Tam's eyes had originally been dark brown, but Dex had given him a harmless elixir that changed his irises into the current silvery blue. Tam rather liked them - it went with his silver-tipped bangs. 

"What's your name?" the boy asked suddenly. 

"Why should I tell you?" Tam quipped. The blonde smirked and stood up, stretching. His shirt lifted a little, revealing a small strip of skin. Tam stared, then flushed and looked away. 

"Well, I didn't really need to ask. It was just a formality." The boy held out a hand. "Welcome to Nightfall, Tam Song." 

Tam was dumbfounded. 

The blonde just grinned and tapped Tam's chin. "You really are going to catch flies." 

And then he sauntered away gracefully without another word. 

Dazed, Tam reached up and pressed the earpiece. It exploded with Dex and Biana's combined shouting. 

_'What the hell were you thinking?'_ Biana yelled. _'Why did you mute us?'_

Tam winced. "It was just for a little bit." 

Dex heaved a huge sigh and Tam could imagine him pulling frustratedly at his hair. _'Okay, whatever. I'll get you in trouble later.'_

Tam started to protest, but Dex cut him off. _'The only way to get Empath's attention is if you fight, so I signed you up for tonight's matches.'_

"What?!" Tam's loud voice made several heads turn, giving him nasty looks. Tam lowered his voice and hissed, "What?" 

Dex didn't sound apologetic at all. _'That was what I was trying to tell you when you fucking turned off your earpiece.'_

Tam felt like strangling Dex. "I don't have any fighting experience! How do you expect me to-" 

_'You're a literal assassin,'_ Dex interrupted. _'You'll be fine.'_

Tam took a deep breath and dug his fingers into the rotten wood of the bar counter. "I'm going to kill you, Dex. Slowly and painfully." 

Dex snorted. _'You can try.'_

Tam gritted his teeth and stared at his glass of murky sewage water, so tense that he jumped two feet into the air when someone tapped him on the shoulder. 

Tam whirled around, eyes widening when they saw a very familiar, very unwelcome figure beaming at him from under a hood similar to his. 

"Wha- _Gethen?"_

The Neverseen member gave him a twisted smile. "The one and only." 

"What are you- oh," Tam mumbled, connecting the dots. "You're here to recruit Empath." 

"As you are." 

"Well, you're not going to get him," Tam snapped. "He's ours." 

Gethen raised an eyebrow at Tam's outburst. Dex murmured a quiet warning.

Gethen picked at his filthy nails. "What makes you think that?"

Tam opened his mouth, but Gethen interrupted him. "That boy's like a ghost. Here one moment, gone the next. He's drawn a lot of attention, though." Gethen's gaze trailed lazily over the crowd. "He never settles down with one agency." 

"So what makes you think he'll join yours?" Tam retorted, irked at Gethen's patronizing tone. 

Gethen smiled smugly. "Wouldn't you like to know." 

He walked off, cape swishing, leaving Tam alone with Biana's cursing. 

_'Dammit!'_ she exclaimed loudly. _'They're trying to recruit him too!'_

"Yes, we know," Tam muttered, rubbing his forehead. He was starting to get a headache from all of the shouting. 

Tam tugged on his bangs, a nervous habit. He couldn't let the Neverseen get Empath - the prize fighter was an important piece in this game the Neverseen and the Black Swan were playing. 

This was Tam's only chance. He _had_ to convince Empath. 

Soon, the harsh lights were glaring down at the ring. Tam wondered for a second why the lights here were so much brighter than the other places, but then he realized the answer. 

These people want to see the fight as clearly as they can. 

**"And approaching from the southern entrance, Bullhorn!"** The commentator's voice blared from the loudspeakers imbedded in the grimy walls. 

Tam shuddered as his mind drifted to that blonde boy from before. Sure, he was infuriating and annoying - not to mention his ridiculous hair - but he seemed to delicate for this kind of place, where thugs and criminals thrived. 

A strange sense of protectiveness flared in Tam's chest - protectiveness for that blonde boy.

And then Tam shook his head, alarmed. He'd never felt protective like that for someone else other than his sister. 

No, this wasn't the protectiveness he felt for his sister. This was more bitter, more... jealous. 

**_Possessiveness._**

Tam swallowed and shook off the thought, pinching his forearm. His skin was going to be bruised soon. 

But Tam couldn't help but wonder what that boy was doing here. 

The assassin dismissed the thought, telling himself it wasn't his job to daydream about the blonde boy. He came here to recruit Empath. 

**"Walking in from the northern entrance, Verdi!"**

"Dex," Tam hissed. The strawberry-blond teen's voice answered through the earpiece. _'Yeah?'_

"Tell me about the fighters," Tam said. He needed to keep his mind off of that boy. 

_'Hmm, why so suddenly?'_ Dex teased. _'Is it because of that pretty blonde?'_

Tam gritted his teeth and was about to mute the earpiece again when Dex cleared his throat, amusement still clear in his voice. _'Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. For now._

 _'See the one at the further entrance? That's Bullhorn,'_ Dex told him. _'He's a weird one. The one in the closer entrance is Verdi. Also a weird one.'_

Tam tuned Dex out as he explained more about the fighters in careful detail. "All of that and not a single picture of Empath?" 

Tam could feel Dex's frustration through the earpiece. _'I've looked in every single database I could reach from here, and there's nothing about Empath. Not a single thing. Either Empath has an_ extremely _talented hacker working for him, or he's very careful in covering up his tracks.'_

Tam frowned. "Isn't Empath a loner?" 

_'Exactly! Nothing matches up! But then why would Empath cover his tracks? And how?'_

There was a muffled conversation, then Dex got back to the mic. _'Alright, Granite's telling me to get back on track. Do you still want to know more about the fighters?'_

"No," Tam murmured. His eyes were fixed on the fight in front of him - one of the fighters was pinning down the other one, blood splattering on the floor of the ring as he punched the his opponent relentlessly in the face. 

_'You're fighting in the sixth round,'_ Dex reminded him. _'You can watch five rounds before it's your turn. Pay attention, Tam. You might have to fight some of them later on. Take note of their fighting styles, okay?'_

Tam wrinkled his nose in distaste as the one being pinned down coughed up saliva tinted red. Tam stepped back, the blood making him feel nauseous. The crowd seemed to love it, though. They whooped and hollered, shaking their fists in the air. 

It was funny, considering, Tam was an assassin. But he preferred to kill all of his victims in one go. No messiness there. 

Ignoring Dex's advice, Tam zoned out for the next two fights - it wasn't like there was much to concentrate on either way. It was all the same, with the blood and the messy fighting and the money being exchanged after countless lost bets and the breaths reeking of alcohol. 

But on the fourth round - two rounds before his match - Tam noticed a flash of fluffy blonde hair as the crowd around him roared louder than ever. 

The blonde boy - the one with the icy blue eyes and the irritating smirk - was leaning nonchalantly against the lip of the southern entrance, wrapping an old, weathered cloth around his knuckles that looked like it'd been torn again and again. 

He looked completely different from before - his delicate features were hard-set, his eyes icier than ever. He was biting his lip, probably more out of habit than anything else. His hair was still tousled, but he looked more dangerous than playful or teasing now. 

_'Holy shit,'_ Dex murmured. _'He's hot.'_

Someone in the crowd screamed something about a kiss on their cheek. Something tugged at the back of Tam's mind, but he couldn't quite grasp what it was. 

Tam stared at the boy as his body jerked forward, like he was being pulled by a magnetic force. Someone standing next to him - a man, a few years older than him, noticed his strange actions and smiled warily. 

"Don't bother," the man told him. "Every single person in this club's tried to hit on him, but he's turned them all away. If you keep sticking to him, he'll kick your ass and hand it to you on a silver platter." 

Tam knew there was something he was missing, but he was too distracted by how extremely _delectable_ the blonde boy was looking. 

"How... um," Tam stammered, gaping at the boy. He was finding it extremely hard to form proper words at the moment. "How long has he been here?" 

The man shrugged. "He showed up a few days ago and started joining the fights. They almost didn't let him, y'know," the man said, an amused smile playing on his lips. "But then they saw him fighting. They even overlooked his weird..." he waved his hands in the air. "Thing that he does after winning." 

"Wh-what does he do after winning?" 

The man took a sip from the dirty glass he was holding. He seemed to be used to the taste of the beverages here, because he didn't grimace. "He kisses each of his opponents on the cheek." 

The world seemed to squeak to a stop. "What?" 

_'A kiss on the cheek?'_ Dex breathed. 

"What's his name?" 

The man shrugged, unaware of the tremendous realization that was striking Tam currently. He opened his mouth, but the commentator's voice blasted through the speakers, so loud that Tam couldn't hear what the man said. 

**"Waiting in the southern entrance is our pretty newcomer, Empath!"**


	2. Chapter 2

**_"And waiting in the southern entrance is our pretty newcomer, Empath!"_ **

Tam was still in shock. 

Biana was cursing loudly in the background as Dex frantically tapped his keyboard. 

Tam watched, entranced, as Empath stepped into the ring and flashed a little smirk, prompting another wave of loud screaming from the crowd. The blonde boy grinned and turned to his opponent, taking on his fighting stance. 

Tam still couldn't believe this flirty, irritating boy was _really_ Empath. How could such a delicate, pretty boy be so dangerous? Tam kept watching. 

The blonde boy's opponent didn't stand a chance. 

He stood there, fumbling around and swinging his fists blindly as the boy - Empath - struck. 

**_Dancing._ **

That was the only way Tam could describe his fighting style. Dancing. 

The boy - _Empath_ , Tam corrected himself, looked completely unbothered as he flitted around the man gracefully, moving so quickly Tam's eyes could barely keep up. 

Empath's hits were precise and deadly. Soon, the man was on all fours, coughing out saliva tinted with red. Suddenly, Tam had much less trouble believing this blonde boy was truly the Empath. 

_'He's incredible,'_ Dex breathed. _'Every single attack he makes is unexpected, and yet everything is maximized to it's fullest extent. He's better than you, Tam. Or any of us.'_

Tam scowled but kept his eyes on Empath. 

Dex was right, Tam couldn't deny it. Empath _was_ an unbelievably talented fighter - no wonder the Neverseen wanted him. 

Empath was now directly in front of him, looking bored as he fiddled with the cloth around his hand. He looked up, glancing around the crowd - and then his gaze latched onto Tam. 

Tam's body jolted on it's own when Tam's eyes locked with Empath's. His eyes were still the same - icy blue irises that had a mystifying quality to them - but something was different. His eyes was more... _striking_ , somehow. 

The blonde boy winked and blew him a kiss, then kicked the man in the side, making him go limp. The referee fired an empty gun into the air, signaling the end of the match. 

Tam knew what was coming, but he still gritted his teeth and clenched his fists when the blonde boy leaned down and pecked the man's cheek. The crowd began hollering again. 

Empath gave a little wave and sauntered out of the ring, making his way towards Tam. 

"Hi," he said simply. 

Tam swallowed. Watching Empath fight... it'd turned him on rather quickly. 

"Hi," he squeaked. 

The blonde boy grinned. "What did you think?" 

Tam cleared his throat. "Um, well, you're okay, I guess. I bet I could beat you though." 

Tam wanted to smack himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth - and clearly, Dex wanted to as well. 

_'What are you_ doing _?!'_ Dex said loudly. _'You're going to get your ass kicked! Didn't you just_ see _him fight?'_

Tam wanted to take it back immediately, but Empath's expression had changed. It was more... intrigued. 

"Oh?" the boy raised an eyebrow challengingly and stepped closer, invading Tam's personal space. Tam resisted the urge to curl his arms around his thin waist. 

"Then I challenge you to a match," the blonde boy whispered, a little smirk playing on his lips. Tam resisted the urge to lean forward and kiss him. 

Empath smiled sweetly and pulled back, lighting a small disappointed feeling in Tam's chest. The blonde boy leaned on one hip, running a hand through his fluffy hair. Tam resisted the urge to pull him back and run his own hand through his messy blonde hair. 

Tam pinched himself, hard. 

Trying to distract himself from his disturbing thoughts, Tam looked away from Empath's striking eyes and instead turned his attention to what he was wearing. 

It didn't help. At all. 

Empath was wearing cargo pants and a loose shirt with leather boots - a combination that made Tam's pants tighten. He smothered the urge to pin the pretty blonde boy to the floor and kiss him senseless. 

"Are you hot?" Tam blurted out, needing to say something to stop his imagination from running wild. 

Empath's lips twitched. "I don't know, am I?" 

Tam flushed. "Th-that's not what I meant!" 

The blonde boy grinned and blew hair out of his eyes. "I used to wear shorts, but... they drew some, uh, unwanted attention." His bright smile faltered for a second, but it was back immediately. 

Tam's hands clenched themselves into fists - he knew exactly what kind of "unwanted attention" he was talking about. 

_'Careful,'_ Dex murmured. Tam had forgotten he was there. 

Tam forced his fingers to relax, peeling his hands open. 

"Come on," Empath said suddenly, as if he'd sensed Tam's anger. The blonde boy grabbed his wrist and dragged him to a small table hidden in the shadows, away from prying eyes. Normally, Tam would've pulled away, but he found himself currently unable to. 

Empath sat down in one of the seats, tapping his fingers restlessly on the wood. He raised an eyebrow at Tam, who was standing awkwardly next to the table. "Sit." 

Tam stiffly slid into his seat, disgruntled. "It's my match soon." 

Empath smiled. "Don't worry, they won't call you when you're with me." 

"Who are you?" Tam asked, unable to stop himself. Dex hissed a warning, but Tam ignored it. 

The boy ignored the question. "Do you know why they called me Empath?" 

Tam was rather taken aback. "Um, no." 

Empath offered a smile that didn't seem genuine. It was almost... sad. "They call me Empath, because..." He reached across the table and pulled Tam's hand forward. His fingers glided against Tam's palm, making him shiver. Tam noticed, for the first time, how pretty Empath's hands were. Long and slim fingers, with perfect nails. Delicate. They weren't the hands of a fighter. "Because I have a way of figuring out what people are feeling when I touch them." 

Tam tensed, drawing his hand back - but Empath curled his fingers around the assassin's wrist, holding him in place. 

"It always works on everyone," the blonde boy continued. "But you..." He raised his head to stare into Tam's silvery eyes. "You're different." 

Tam's mouth was so dry, he had trouble speaking. His eyes flickered down to Empath's lips - they were plumper than he'd first thought. "Is... um, is that a good thing?" 

The boy shrugged, leaning closer. "I don't know, you tell me." 

Tam could barely breathe as Empath kissed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, I know, short chapter, but it'll be worth it, I promiseeeeeeee  
> well, um, I can't promise that you'll like it, but um I hope you do like it??
> 
> anyway you're welcome for that cliffhanger lmao

**Author's Note:**

> heyyyyyyyyy~~ how'd you enjoy the first chapter? there's probably going to be only two chapters, maaaaaaybe a third one. I hope you enjoyed reading!!  
> there isn't enough kam in this world, so I decided to create some more~~ hehe  
> p.s. for those of you wondering, yes, I do know that 'blonde' is usually used to describe females. but I wanted to add a touch of feminism to keefe, so that's why I used 'blonde' instead of 'blond.'


End file.
